IN BRIEF BACKING OUR BOAT NIWA’s forecasting team is strapping in for an intense couple of months ahead as Emirates Team New Zealand prepares to head out on the Hauraki Gulf to defend the America’s Cup. NIWA is providing race-critical support to Emirates Team New Zealand as the official supplier of weather forecasting and marine current information to the defence campaign. Members of the public can get a taste of what that involves – both above and below the water – by heading down to Spark’s 5G Race Zone at Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter.
ETNZ
The free, 60-minute experience runs through till the end of March and includes interactive displays explaining how NIWA science is helping a fast boat, sail even faster.
CYCLONE WATCH
New Zealand normally averages one ex-tropical cyclone per season, but the last La Niña weather event during the 2017/18 summer brought ex-cyclones Fehi, Gita and Hola.
The heightened cyclone risk comes as New Zealand experiences a third marine heatwave in four years and follows last year’s record warm winter which saw temperatures 1.14°C above average. Seven of New Zealand’s 10 warmest winters on record have occurred since the year 2000.
Dave Allen
Forecasters are keeping a close watch on conditions north of New Zealand as this summer’s La Niña weather pattern raises the cyclone risk.
TAONGA AT RISK Seven native freshwater species are at particular risk from climate change. New research, carried out by Te Wai Māori Trust and NIWA, looked at 10 taonga freshwater species. Each was measured for its exposure to climate change and its ability to respond.
Dave Allen
Tuna (longfin eel) and piharau (lamprey) were ranked as most at risk. Tuna (shortfin eel), kākahi (freshwater mussels) and three fish species (īnanga, banded kōkopu and kōaro) were all rated as highly vulnerable.
www.niwa.co.nz
Kōura (freshwater crayfish), giant kōkopu and aua (yellow-eyed mullet) were found to be at moderate or low risk. February 2021
Water & Atmosphere
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